In general, food processors are better for cutting, grating, slicing or otherwise processing solid ingredients, while blenders are ideal for crushing and pureeing liquids and solid foods together. Food processors can leak when used for liquids, while blenders can get stuck if there isn't enough liquid.
Here's when to use each.
Use a Blender for Smoother Purees and Soups
You can use either tool to puree food, but a blender will yield smoother results — especially for purees with more liquid, like baby food, soups and sauces.
"The pureeing process itself is a physical crushing or shearing that breaks the plant tissue into pieces and liberates thickening molecules from them," writes Harold McGee in "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen." He goes on to say, "Blenders and mortars are the most effective tools for this; food processors slice rather than crush."
When making a hot pureed soup, an immersion blender can be a handy tool; if you don't have one, carefully pour the soup into the blender jar and cover the lid with a towel to prevent splattering.
Use a Blender to Make Frozen Drinks
Blenders were created for making milkshakes, so it makes sense that they would be the best tool for drinks from smoothies to frozen co*cktails. A blender's tall jar has room for more liquid than a food processor. The fast, sharp blades of a high-powered blender were made for liquifying frozen fruit.
Use a Blender to Crush Ice
Use a blender for crushing ice. As appliance tester Cindy Fisher told Tasting Table, "the ice can damage the food processor's chopping blade and plastic container."
Use a Food Processor for Nut Butters
The wide bowl of a food processor is better for processing mixtures that are low on liquid, like nut butters.
Use a Food Processor for Mixing and Kneading Bread or Pastry Dough
A food processor is the only appliance that works for cutting butter into flour to make a pie crust.
Use a Food Processor to Grate Ingredients
The shredding disc on your food processor is great for grating ingredients like from carrots to cheese.
Use a Food Processor to Chop Dry Ingredients
A food processor's wide bowl is better for chopping a large batch of vegetables. Use the pulse button to avoid turning your vegetables into a puree.
Use Either for Making Pesto
A blender will yield a smoother pesto, while a food processor will yield a slightly coarser pesto. A Ligurian nonna, however, will tell you to use neither — a mortar and pestle is the traditional way to do it. (The word "pesto" comes from the verb "to pound.")
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